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Sergeeva O, Zhang Y, Julian W, Sasikumar A, Awadallah A, Kenyon J, Shi W, Sergeev M, Huang S, Sexton S, Iyer R, Xin W, Avril N, Chan ER, Lee Z. Imaging of Tumor-Associated Vascular Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen in Woodchuck Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. GASTRO HEP ADVANCES 2022; 1:631-639. [PMID: 35844243 PMCID: PMC9280909 DOI: 10.1016/j.gastha.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Radiolabeled short peptide ligands targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) were developed initially for imaging and treatment of prostate cancers. While many nonprostate solid tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) express little PSMA, their neovasculature expresses a high level of PSMA, which is avid for Gallium-68-labeled PSMA-targeting radio-ligand (68Ga-PSMA-11) for positron emission tomography (PET). However, the lack of a spontaneous animal model of tumor-associated vascular PSMA overexpression has hindered the development and assessment of PSMA-targeting radioligands for imaging and therapy of the nonprostatic cancers. We identified detectable indigenous PSMA expression on tumor neovascular endothelia in a naturally occurring woodchuck model of HCC. METHODS Molecular docking was performed with 3 bait PSMA ligands and compared between human and woodchuck PSMA. Initially, PET images were acquired dynamically after intravenously injecting 37 MBq (1.0 mCi) of 68Ga-PSMA-11 into woodchuck models of HCC. Subsequently, 10-minute static PET scans were conducted for other animals 1-hour after injection due to HCC and liver background uptake stabilization at 30-45 minutes after injection. Liver tissue samples were harvested after imaging, fresh-frozen for quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot for validation, or fixed for histology for correlation. RESULTS Our preclinical studies confirmed the initial clinical findings of 68Ga-PSMA-11 uptake in HCC. The agents (ligands and antibodies) developed against human PSMA were found to be reactive against the woodchuck PSMA. CONCLUSION This animal model offers a unique opportunity for investigating the biogenesis of tumor-associated vascular PSMA, its functional role(s), and potentials for future treatment strategies targeting tumor vascular PSMA using already developed PSMA-targeting agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Sergeeva
- Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Willian Julian
- Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Arun Sasikumar
- Nuclear Medicine, St. Gregorios International Cancer Care Centre, Parumala, Kerala, India
| | - Amad Awadallah
- Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | | | - Wuxian Shi
- Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Maxim Sergeev
- Radiology, University Hospitals Clevel and Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Steve Huang
- Nuclear Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Sandra Sexton
- Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York
| | - Renuka Iyer
- Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York
| | - Wei Xin
- Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Norbert Avril
- Radiology, University Hospitals Clevel and Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Ernest Ricky Chan
- Institute for Computational Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Zhenghong Lee
- Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
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PSMA-Targeting Imaging and Theranostic Agents-Current Status and Future Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031158. [PMID: 35163083 PMCID: PMC8835702 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades, extensive efforts have been made to develop agents targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for prostate cancer imaging and therapy. To date, represented by two recent approvals of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 and [18F]F-DCFPyL by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to identify suspected metastases or recurrence in patients with prostate cancer, PSMA-targeting imaging and theranostic agents derived from small molecule PSMA inhibitors have advanced to clinical practice and trials of prostate cancer. The focus of current development of new PSMA-targeting agents has thus shifted to the improvement of in vivo pharmacokinetics and higher specific binding affinity with the aims to further increase the detection sensitivity and specificity and minimize the toxicity to non-target tissues, particularly the kidneys. The main strategies involve systematic chemical modifications of the linkage between the targeting moiety and imaging/therapy payloads. In addition to a summary of the development history of PSMA-targeting agents, this review provides an overview of current advances and future promise of PSMA-targeted imaging and theranostics with focuses on the structural determinants of the chemical modification towards the next generation of PSMA-targeting agents.
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Yang S, Datta D, Elizabeth Woo, Duque A, Morozov YM, Arellano J, Slusher BS, Wang M, Arnsten AFT. Inhibition of glutamate-carboxypeptidase-II in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: potential therapeutic target for neuroinflammatory cognitive disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4252-4263. [PMID: 35732693 PMCID: PMC9718677 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01656-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase-II (GCPII) expression in brain is increased by inflammation, e.g. by COVID19 infection, where it reduces NAAG stimulation of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 3 (mGluR3). GCPII-mGluR3 signaling is increasingly linked to higher cognition, as genetic alterations that weaken mGluR3 or increase GCPII signaling are associated with impaired cognition in humans. Recent evidence from macaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) shows that mGluR3 are expressed on dendritic spines, where they regulate cAMP-PKA opening of potassium (K+) channels to enhance neuronal firing during working memory. However, little is known about GCPII expression and function in the primate dlPFC, despite its relevance to inflammatory disorders. The present study used multiple label immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy to localize GCPII in aging macaque dlPFC, and examined the effects of GCPII inhibition on dlPFC neuronal physiology and working memory function. GCPII was observed in astrocytes as expected, but also on neurons, including extensive expression in dendritic spines. Recordings in dlPFC from aged monkeys performing a working memory task found that iontophoresis of the GCPII inhibitors 2-MPPA or 2-PMPA markedly increased working memory-related neuronal firing and spatial tuning, enhancing neural representations. These beneficial effects were reversed by an mGluR2/3 antagonist, or by a cAMP-PKA activator, consistent with mGluR3 inhibition of cAMP-PKA-K+ channel signaling. Systemic administration of the brain penetrant inhibitor, 2-MPPA, significantly improved working memory performance without apparent side effects, with largest effects in the oldest monkeys. Taken together, these data endorse GCPII inhibition as a potential strategy for treating cognitive disorders associated with aging and/or neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengtao Yang
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA ,grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Elizabeth Woo
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Alvaro Duque
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Yury M. Morozov
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Jon Arellano
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Barbara S. Slusher
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Department Neurology and Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Min Wang
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Amy F. T. Arnsten
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA
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Datta D, Leslie SN, Woo E, Amancharla N, Elmansy A, Lepe M, Mecca AP, Slusher BS, Nairn AC, Arnsten AFT. Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II in Aging Rat Prefrontal Cortex Impairs Working Memory Performance. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:760270. [PMID: 34867287 PMCID: PMC8634091 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.760270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) expression in brain is increased by inflammation, and reduces NAAG (N-acetyl aspartyl glutamate) stimulation of mGluR3 signaling. Genetic insults in this signaling cascade are increasingly linked to cognitive disorders in humans, where increased GCPII and or decreased NAAG-mGluR3 are associated with impaired prefrontal cortical (PFC) activation and cognitive impairment. As aging is associated with increased inflammation and PFC cognitive deficits, the current study examined GCPII and mGluR3 expression in the aging rat medial PFC, and tested whether GCPII inhibition with 2-(3-mercaptopropyl) pentanedioic acid (2-MPPA) would improve working memory performance. We found that GCPII protein was expressed on astrocytes and some microglia as expected from previous studies, but was also prominently expressed on neurons, and showed increased levels with advancing age. Systemic administration of the GCPII inhibitor, 2-MPPA, improved working memory performance in young and aged rats, and also improved performance after local infusion into the medial PFC. As GCPII inhibitors are well-tolerated, they may provide an important new direction for treatment of cognitive disorders associated with aging and/or inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Shannon N Leslie
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Nishita Amancharla
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ayah Elmansy
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Miguel Lepe
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Department of Neurology and Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Angus C Nairn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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5
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Wolf P. Targeted Toxins for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9080986. [PMID: 34440190 PMCID: PMC8391386 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment, new treatment options are urgently needed for advanced stages of the disease. Targeted toxins are chemical conjugates or fully recombinant proteins consisting of a binding domain directed against a target antigen on the surface of cancer cells and a toxin domain, which is transported into the cell for the induction of apoptosis. In the last decades, targeted toxins against prostate cancer have been developed. Several challenges, however, became apparent that prevented their direct clinical use. They comprise immunogenicity, low target antigen binding, endosomal entrapment, and lysosomal/proteasomal degradation of the targeted toxins. Moreover, their efficacy is impaired by prostate tumors, which are marked by a dense microenvironment, low target antigen expression, and apoptosis resistance. In this review, current findings in the development of targeted toxins against prostate cancer in view of effective targeting, reduction of immunogenicity, improvement of intracellular trafficking, and overcoming apoptosis resistance are discussed. There are promising approaches that should lead to the clinical use of targeted toxins as therapeutic alternatives for advanced prostate cancer in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Wolf
- Department of Urology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; ; Tel.: +49-761-270-28921
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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6
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Siow A, Kowalczyk R, Brimble MA, Harris PWR. Evolution of Peptide-Based Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) Inhibitors: An Approach to Novel Prostate Cancer Therapeutics. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:3713-3752. [PMID: 33023429 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666201006153847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with approximately 1.1 million cases diagnosed annually. The rapid development of molecular imaging has facilitated greater structural understanding, which can help formulate novel combinations of therapeutic regimens and more accurate diagnosis, avoiding unnecessary prostate biopsies. This accumulated knowledge also provides a greater understanding of the aggressive stages of the disease and tumor recurrence. Recently, much progress has been made on developing peptidomimetic-based inhibitors as promising candidates to effectively bind to the prostate- specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is expressed by prostate cancer cells. OBJECTIVE In this review, recent advances covering small-molecule and peptide-based PSMA inhibitors will be extensively reviewed, providing a base for the rational design of future PSMA inhibitors. METHOD Herein, the literature on selected PSMA inhibitors that have been developed from 1996 to 2020 were reviewed, emphasizing recent synthetic advances and chemical strategies whilst highlighting therapeutic potential and drawbacks of each inhibitor. RESULTS Synthesized inhibitors presented in this review demonstrate the clinical application of certain PSMA inhibitors, exhibited in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION This review highlights the clinical potential of PSMA inhibitors, analyzing the advantages and setbacks of the chemical synthetic methodologies utilized, setting precedence for the discovery of novel PSMA inhibitors for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Siow
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Private Bag: 92019, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Renata Kowalczyk
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Private Bag: 92019, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Margaret A Brimble
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Private Bag: 92019, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Paul W R Harris
- School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, 23 Symonds Street, Private Bag: 92019, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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7
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Bhujwalla ZM, Kakkad S, Chen Z, Jin J, Hapuarachchige S, Artemov D, Penet MF. Theranostics and metabolotheranostics for precision medicine in oncology. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2018; 291:141-151. [PMID: 29705040 PMCID: PMC5943142 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Most diseases, especially cancer, would significantly benefit from precision medicine where treatment is shaped for the individual. The concept of theragnostics or theranostics emerged around 2002 to describe the incorporation of diagnostic assays into the selection of therapy for this purpose. Increasingly, theranostics has been used for strategies that combine noninvasive imaging-based diagnostics with therapy. Within the past decade theranostic imaging has transformed into a rapidly expanding field that is located at the interface of diagnosis and therapy. A critical need in cancer treatment is to minimize damage to normal tissue. Molecular imaging can be applied to identify targets specific to cancer with imaging, design agents against these targets to visualize their delivery, and monitor response to treatment, with the overall purpose of minimizing collateral damage. Genomic and proteomic profiling can provide an extensive 'fingerprint' of each tumor. With this cancer fingerprint, theranostic agents can be designed to personalize treatment for precision medicine of cancer, and minimize damage to normal tissue. Here, for the first time, we have introduced the term 'metabolotheranostics' to describe strategies where disease-based alterations in metabolic pathways detected by MRS are specifically targeted with image-guided delivery platforms to achieve disease-specific therapy. The versatility of MRI and MRS in molecular and functional imaging makes these technologies especially important in theranostic MRI and 'metabolotheranostics'. Our purpose here is to provide insights into the capabilities and applications of this exciting new field in cancer treatment with a focus on MRI and MRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaver M Bhujwalla
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Samata Kakkad
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zhihang Chen
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jiefu Jin
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sudath Hapuarachchige
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dmitri Artemov
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marie-France Penet
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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8
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Wüstemann T, Haberkorn U, Babich J, Mier W. Targeting prostate cancer: Prostate-specific membrane antigen based diagnosis and therapy. Med Res Rev 2018; 39:40-69. [PMID: 29771460 DOI: 10.1002/med.21508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The high incidence rates of prostate cancer (PCa) raise demand for improved therapeutic strategies. Prostate tumors specifically express the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a membrane-bound protease. As PSMA is highly overexpressed on malignant prostate tumor cells and as its expression rate correlates with the aggressiveness of the disease, this tumor-associated biomarker provides the possibility to develop new strategies for diagnostics and therapy of PCa. Major advances have been made in PSMA targeting, ranging from immunotherapeutic approaches to therapeutic small molecules. This review elaborates the diversity of PSMA targeting agents while focusing on the radioactively labeled tracers for diagnosis and endoradiotherapy. A variety of radionuclides have been shown to either enable precise diagnosis or efficiently treat the tumor with minimal effects to nontargeted organs. Most small molecules with affinity for PSMA are based on either a phosphonate or a urea-based binding motif. Based on these pharmacophores, major effort has been made to identify modifications to achieve ideal pharmacokinetics while retaining the specific targeting of the PSMA binding pocket. Several tracers have now shown excellent clinical usability in particular for molecular imaging and therapy as proven by the efficiency of theranostic approaches in current studies. The archetypal expression profile of PSMA may be exploited for the treatment with alpha emitters to break radioresistance and thus to bring the power of systemic therapy to higher levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Wüstemann
- Department for Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uwe Haberkorn
- Department for Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - John Babich
- Department for Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Walter Mier
- Department for Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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9
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Nagaya T, Nakamura Y, Okuyama S, Ogata F, Maruoka Y, Choyke PL, Kobayashi H. Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy Targeting Prostate Cancer with Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) Antibody. Mol Cancer Res 2017; 15:1153-1162. [PMID: 28588059 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-17-0164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a membrane protein that is overexpressed manifold in prostate cancer and provides an attractive target for molecular therapy. Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a highly selective tumor treatment that employs an antibody-photoabsorber conjugate (APC). Here, we describe the efficacy of NIR-PIT, using a fully human IgG1 anti-PSMA monoclonal antibody (mAb), conjugated to the photoabsorber, IR700DX, in a PSMA-expressing PC3 prostate cancer cell line. Anti-PSMA-IR700 showed specific binding and cell-specific killing was observed after exposure of the cells to NIR light in vitro In the in vivo study, anti-PSMA-IR700 showed high tumor accumulation and high tumor-background ratio. Tumor-bearing mice were separated into 4 groups: (i) no treatment; (ii) 100 μg of anti-PSMA-IR700 i.v.; (iii) NIR light exposure; (iv) 100 μg of anti-PSMA-IR700 i.v., NIR light exposure was administered. These were performed every week for up to 3 weeks. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited by NIR-PIT treatment compared with the other control groups (P < 0.001), and significantly prolonged survival was achieved (P < 0.0001 vs. other control groups). More than two thirds of tumors were cured with NIR-PIT. In conclusion, the anti-PSMA antibody is suitable as an APC for NIR-PIT. Furthermore, NIR-PIT with the anti-PSMA-IR700 antibody is a promising candidate of the treatment of PSMA-expressing tumors and could be readily translated to humans.Implications: NIR-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) using a fully human anti-PSMA-IR700 conjugate showed potential therapeutic effects against a PSMA-expressing prostate cancer that is readily translated to humans. Mol Cancer Res; 15(9); 1153-62. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadanobu Nagaya
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yuko Nakamura
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Shuhei Okuyama
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Fusa Ogata
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yasuhiro Maruoka
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Peter L Choyke
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hisataka Kobayashi
- Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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10
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Seaman S, Zhu Z, Saha S, Zhang XM, Yang MY, Hilton MB, Morris K, Szot C, Morris H, Swing DA, Tessarollo L, Smith SW, Degrado S, Borkin D, Jain N, Scheiermann J, Feng Y, Wang Y, Li J, Welsch D, DeCrescenzo G, Chaudhary A, Zudaire E, Klarmann KD, Keller JR, Dimitrov DS, St Croix B. Eradication of Tumors through Simultaneous Ablation of CD276/B7-H3-Positive Tumor Cells and Tumor Vasculature. Cancer Cell 2017; 31:501-515.e8. [PMID: 28399408 PMCID: PMC5458750 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Revised: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Targeting the tumor vasculature with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) is a promising anti-cancer strategy that in order to be realized must overcome several obstacles, including identification of suitable targets and optimal warheads. Here, we demonstrate that the cell-surface protein CD276/B7-H3 is broadly overexpressed by multiple tumor types on both cancer cells and tumor-infiltrating blood vessels, making it a potentially ideal dual-compartment therapeutic target. In preclinical studies CD276 ADCs armed with a conventional MMAE warhead destroyed CD276-positive cancer cells, but were ineffective against tumor vasculature. In contrast, pyrrolobenzodiazepine-conjugated CD276 ADCs killed both cancer cells and tumor vasculature, eradicating large established tumors and metastases, and improving long-term overall survival. CD276-targeted dual-compartment ablation could aid in the development of highly selective broad-acting anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Seaman
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Zhongyu Zhu
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program (CIP), NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Saurabh Saha
- BioMed Valley Discoveries, Inc, Kansas City, MO 64111, USA
| | | | - Mi Young Yang
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Mary Beth Hilton
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Basic Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Karen Morris
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Basic Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Christopher Szot
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Holly Morris
- Transgenic Core Facility, MCGP, NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Deborah A Swing
- Transgenic Core Facility, MCGP, NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Lino Tessarollo
- Neural Development Section, MCGP, NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yang Feng
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program (CIP), NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Yanping Wang
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program (CIP), NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jinyu Li
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program (CIP), NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Dean Welsch
- BioMed Valley Discoveries, Inc, Kansas City, MO 64111, USA
| | | | - Amit Chaudhary
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Enrique Zudaire
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Kimberly D Klarmann
- Basic Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Hematopoiesis and Stem Cell Biology Section, MCGP, NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jonathan R Keller
- Basic Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Hematopoiesis and Stem Cell Biology Section, MCGP, NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Dimiter S Dimitrov
- Protein Interactions Section, Cancer and Inflammation Program (CIP), NCI, NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Brad St Croix
- Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program (MCGP), National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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11
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Meng P, Dong QC, Tan GG, Wen WH, Wang H, Zhang G, Wang YZ, Jing YM, Wang C, Qin WJ, Yuan JL. Anti-tumor effects of a recombinant anti-prostate specific membrane antigen immunotoxin against prostate cancer cells. BMC Urol 2017; 17:14. [PMID: 28193277 PMCID: PMC5307788 DOI: 10.1186/s12894-017-0203-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To evaluate anti-prostate cancer effects of a chimeric tumor-targeted killer protein. Methods We established a novel fusion gene, immunocasp-3, composed of NH2-terminal leader sequence fused with an anti-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) antibody (J591), the furin cleavage sequences of diphtheria toxin (Fdt), and the reverse coding sequences of the large and small subunits of caspase-3 (revcaspase-3). The expressing level of the immunocasp-3 gene was evaluated by using the reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis. Cell viability assay and cytotoxicity assay were used to evaluate its anti-tumor effects in vitro. Apoptosis was confirmed by electron microscopy and Annexin V-FITC staining. The antitumor effects of immunocasp-3 were assessed in nude mice xenograft models containing PSMA-overexpressing LNCaP cells. Results This study shows that the immunocasp-3 proteins selectively recognized and induced apoptotic death in PSMA-overexpressing LNCaP cells in vitro, where apoptotic cells were present in 15.3% of the cells transfected with the immunocasp-3 expression vector at 48 h after the transfection, in contrast to 5.5% in the control cells. Moreover, LNCaP cells were significantly killed under the condition of the co-culture of the immunocasp-3-secreting Jurkat cells and more than 50% of the LNCaP cells died when the two cell lines were co-cultured within 5 days. In addition, The expression of immunocasp-3 also significantly suppressed tumor growth and greatly prolonged the animal survival rate in vivo. Conclusion A novel fusion gene, immunocasp-3, may represent a viable approach to treating PSMA-positive prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Meng
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qing-Chuan Dong
- Department of Urology Surgery, Peoples' Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Guang-Guo Tan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wei-Hong Wen
- Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - He Wang
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Geng Zhang
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yan-Zhu Wang
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yu-Ming Jing
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Jun Qin
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Jian-Lin Yuan
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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12
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Chen Y, Chatterjee S, Lisok A, Minn I, Pullambhatla M, Wharram B, Wang Y, Jin J, Bhujwalla ZM, Nimmagadda S, Mease RC, Pomper MG. A PSMA-targeted theranostic agent for photodynamic therapy. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2016; 167:111-116. [PMID: 28063300 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2016.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is over-expressed in the epithelium of prostate cancer and in the neovasculature of many non-prostate solid tumors. PSMA has been increasingly used as a target for cancer imaging and therapy. Here we describe a low-molecular-weight theranostic photosensitizer, YC-9, for PSMA-targeted optical imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT). YC-9 was synthesized by conjugating IRDye700DX N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester with a PSMA targeting Lys-Glu urea through a lysine-suberate linker in suitable yield. Optical imaging in vivo demonstrated PSMA-specific tumor uptake of YC-9 with rapid clearance from non-target tissues. PSMA-specific cell kill was demonstrated with YC-9in vitro through PDT in PSMA+ PC3-PIP and PSMA- PC3-flu cells. In vivo PDT in mice bearing PSMA+ PC3-PIP tumors at 4h post-injection of YC-9 (A total of four PDT sessions were performed, 48h apart) resulted in significant tumor growth delay, while tumors in control groups continued to grow. PDT with YC-9 significantly increased the median survival of the PSMA+ PC3-PIP tumor mice (56.5days) compared to control groups [23.5-30.0days, including untreated, light alone, YC-9 alone (without light) and non-targeted IRDye700DX PDT treatment groups], without noticeable toxicity at the doses used. This study proves in principle that YC-9 is a promising therapeutic agent for targeted PDT of PSMA-expressing tissues, such as prostate tumors, and may also be useful against non-prostate tumors by virtue of neovascular PSMA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States.
| | - Samit Chatterjee
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Ala Lisok
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Il Minn
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Mrudula Pullambhatla
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Bryan Wharram
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Yuchuan Wang
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Jiefu Jin
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Zaver M Bhujwalla
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Sridhar Nimmagadda
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Ronnie C Mease
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
| | - Martin G Pomper
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States.
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13
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Penet MF, Jin J, Chen Z, Bhujwalla ZM. Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy in Cancer Theranostic Imaging. Top Magn Reson Imaging 2016; 25:215-221. [PMID: 27748706 PMCID: PMC5893223 DOI: 10.1097/rmr.0000000000000098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
With its exquisite anatomical resolution and wide-ranging functional imaging capabilities, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has found multiple applications in detection, staging, and monitoring treatment response in cancer. The metabolic information provided by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is being actively investigated to complement MRI parameters, as well as existing biomarkers, in cancer detection and in monitoring response to treatment. Located at the interface of detection and therapy, theranostic imaging is a rapidly expanding new field that is showing significant promise for precision medicine of cancer. Innovations in the development of novel nanoparticles decorated with imaging reporters that can be used to deliver therapeutic cargo to specific cells and environments have provided new roles for MRI and MRS in theranostic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-France Penet
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jiefu Jin
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Zhihang Chen
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Zaver M. Bhujwalla
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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14
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Nguyen DP, Xiong PL, Liu H, Pan S, Leconet W, Navarro V, Guo M, Moy J, Kim S, Ramirez-Fort MK, Batra JS, Bander NH. Induction of PSMA and Internalization of an Anti-PSMA mAb in the Vascular Compartment. Mol Cancer Res 2016; 14:1045-1053. [PMID: 27458033 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-16-0193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Angiogenesis is critical for tumor growth and survival and involves interactions between cancer and endothelial cells. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA/FOLH1) is expressed in the neovasculature of several types of cancer. However, the study of neovascular PSMA expression has been impeded as human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) cultures are PSMA-negative and both tumor xenografts and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models are not known to express PSMA in their vasculature. Therefore, PSMA expression was examined in HUVECs, in vitro and in vivo, and we tested the hypothesis that cancer cell-HUVEC crosstalk could induce the expression of PSMA in HUVECs. Interestingly, conditioned media from several cancer cell lines induced PSMA expression in HUVECs, in vitro, and these lines induced PSMA, in vivo, in a HUVEC coimplantation mouse model. Furthermore, HUVECs in which PSMA expression was induced were able to internalize J591, a mAb that recognizes an extracellular epitope of PSMA as well as nanoparticles bearing a PSMA-binding ligand/inhibitor. These findings offer new avenues to study the molecular mechanism responsible for tumor cell induction of PSMA in neovasculature as well as the biological role of PSMA in neovasculature. Finally, these data suggest that PSMA-targeted therapies could synergize with antiangiogenic and/or other antitumor agents and provide a promising model system to test therapeutic modalities that target PSMA in these settings. IMPLICATIONS Cancer cells are able to induce PSMA expression in HUVECs, in vitro and in vivo, allowing internalization of PSMA-specific mAbs and nanoparticles bearing a PSMA-binding ligand/inhibitor. Mol Cancer Res; 14(11); 1045-53. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Nguyen
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York.
- Department of Urology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter L Xiong
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - He Liu
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Samuel Pan
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Wilhem Leconet
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Vincent Navarro
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Jonathan Moy
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Sae Kim
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Marigdalia K Ramirez-Fort
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Jaspreet S Batra
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Neil H Bander
- Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York.
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15
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Chen Y, Lisok A, Chatterjee S, Wharram B, Pullambhatla M, Wang Y, Sgouros G, Mease RC, Pomper MG. [(18)F]Fluoroethyl Triazole Substituted PSMA Inhibitor Exhibiting Rapid Normal Organ Clearance. Bioconjug Chem 2016; 27:1655-62. [PMID: 27270097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is overexpressed in the epithelium of prostate cancer and nonprostate solid tumor neovasculature. PSMA is increasingly utilized as a target for cancer imaging and therapy. Here, we report the synthesis and in vivo biodistribution of a low-molecular-weight PSMA-based imaging agent, 2-[3-(1-carboxy-5-{3-[1-(2-[(18)F]fluoroethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-yl]propanamido}pentyl)ureido]pentanedioic acid ([(18)F]YC-88), containing an [(18)F]fluoroethyl triazole moiety. [(18)F]YC-88 was synthesized from 2-[(18)F]fluoroethyl azide and the corresponding alkyne precursor in two steps using either a one- or two-pot procedure. Biodistribution and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging were performed in immunocompromised mice using isogenic PSMA(+) PC3 PIP and PSMA(-) PC3 flu xenografts. YC-88 exhibited high affinity for PSMA as evidenced by a Ki value of 12.9 nM. The non-decay corrected radiochemical yields of [(18)F]YC-88 averaged 14 ± 1% (n = 5). Specific radioactivities ranged from 320 to 2,460 Ci/mmol (12-91 GBq/μmol) with an average of 940 Ci/mmol (35 GBq/μmol, n = 5). In an immunocompromised mouse model, [(18)F]YC-88 clearly delineated PSMA(+) PC3 PIP prostate tumor xenografts on imaging with PET. At 1 h postinjection, 47.58 ± 5.19% injected dose per gram of tissue (% ID/g) was evident within the PSMA(+) PC3 PIP tumor, with a ratio of 170:1 of uptake within PSMA(+) PC3 PIP to PSMA(-) PC3 flu tumor placed in the opposite flank. The tumor-to-kidney ratio at 2 h postinjection was 4:1. At or after 30 min postinjection, minimal nontarget tissue uptake of [(18)F]YC-88 was observed. Compared to [(18)F]DCFPyL, which is currently in clinical trials, the uptake of [(18)F]YC-88 within the kidney, liver, and spleen was significantly lower at all time-points studied. At 30 min and 1 h postinjection, salivary gland uptake of [(18)F]YC-88 was significantly less than that of [(18)F]DCFPyL. [(18)F]YC-88 is a new PSMA-targeted PET agent synthesized utilizing click chemistry that demonstrates high PSMA(+) tumor uptake in a xenograft model. Because of its low uptake in the kidney, rapid clearance from nontarget organs, and relatively simple one-pot, two-step radiosynthesis, [(18)F]YC-88 is a viable new PET radiotracer for imaging PSMA-expressing lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Ala Lisok
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Samit Chatterjee
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Bryan Wharram
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Mrudula Pullambhatla
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Yuchuan Wang
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - George Sgouros
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Ronnie C Mease
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
| | - Martin G Pomper
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions , Baltimore, Maryland 21287, United States
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16
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Bradbury R, Jiang WG, Cui YX. The clinical and therapeutic uses of MDM2 and PSMA and their potential interaction in aggressive cancers. Biomark Med 2015; 9:1353-70. [PMID: 26581688 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.15.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) overexpression is observed in the neovasculature of solid tumors, but not in the vasculature of normal tissues. Increased PSMA expression is positively associated with tumor stage and grade, although its function in cancer remains unclear. Mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) is a negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor and is reported to regulate VEGF expression and angiogenesis. Both proteins have been considered as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for advanced solid tumors. Our work and a recent microarray-based gene profiling study suggest there could be signaling interplay between MDM2 and PSMA. We herein review the mechanisms underlining the outgrowth of tumors associated with PSMA and MDM2, their potential interaction and how this may be applied to anticancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Bradbury
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Wen G Jiang
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Yu-Xin Cui
- Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
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17
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Nonaka M, Fukuda MN, Gao C, Li Z, Zhang H, Greene MI, Peehl DM, Feizi T, Fukuda M. Determination of carbohydrate structure recognized by prostate-specific F77 monoclonal antibody through expression analysis of glycosyltransferase genes. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:16478-86. [PMID: 24753248 PMCID: PMC4047414 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.559047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This study reports the determination of the carbohydrate epitope of monoclonal antibody F77 previously raised against human prostate cancer PC-3 cells (Zhang, G., Zhang, H., Wang, Q., Lal, P., Carroll, A. M., de la Llera-Moya, M., Xu, X., and Greene, M. I. (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 107, 732–737). We performed a series of co-transfections using mammalian expression vectors encoding specific glycosyltransferases. We thereby identified branching enzymes and FUT1 (required for Fucα1→2Gal linkage) as being essential for F77 antigen formation. When immortalized normal prostate 267B1 cells were transfected with FUT1 alone, cells showed weak expression of F77 antigen. By contrast, cells co-transfected with FUT1 plus either GCNT1, GCNT2, or GCNT3 (an enzyme required to form GlcNAcβ1→6Gal/GalNAc) showed robust F77 antigen expression, suggesting that F77 specifically binds to Fucα1→2Galβ1→4GlcNAcβ1→6Gal/GalNAc. RT-PCR for FUT1, GCNT1, GCNT2, and GCNT3 showed that F77-positive cell lines indeed express transcripts encoding FUT1 plus one GCNT. F77-positive prostate cancer cells transfected with siRNAs targeting FUT1, GCNT2, and GCNT3 showed significantly reduced F77 antigen, confirming the requirement of these enzymes for epitope synthesis. We also found that hypoxia induces F77 epitope expression in immortalized prostate RWPE1 cells, which express F77 antigen moderately under normoxia but at an elevated level under hypoxia. Quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated up-regulation of FUT1, GCNT2, and GCNT3 transcripts in RWPE1 cells under hypoxia, suggesting that hypoxia up-regulates glycosyltransferase expression required for F77 antigen synthesis. These results define the F77 epitope and provide a potential mechanism for F77 antigen synthesis in malignant prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motohiro Nonaka
- From the Tumor Microenvironment Program, Cancer Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Michiko N Fukuda
- From the Tumor Microenvironment Program, Cancer Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Chao Gao
- the Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Zhen Li
- the Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Hongtao Zhang
- the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6082
| | - Mark I Greene
- the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6082
| | - Donna M Peehl
- the Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5118, and
| | - Ten Feizi
- the Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Minoru Fukuda
- From the Tumor Microenvironment Program, Cancer Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037,
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18
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Penet MF, Chen Z, Kakkad S, Pomper MG, Bhujwalla ZM. Theranostic imaging of cancer. Eur J Radiol 2013; 81 Suppl 1:S124-6. [PMID: 23083557 DOI: 10.1016/s0720-048x(12)70051-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-France Penet
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
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19
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Lo ST, Kumar A, Hsieh JT, Sun X. Dendrimer nanoscaffolds for potential theranostics of prostate cancer with a focus on radiochemistry. Mol Pharm 2013; 10:793-812. [PMID: 23294202 DOI: 10.1021/mp3005325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Dendrimers are a class of structurally defined macromolecules featured with a central core, a low-density interior formed by repetitive branching units, and a high-density exterior terminated with surface functional groups. In contrast to their polymeric counterparts, dendrimers are nanosized and symmetrically shaped, which can be reproducibly synthesized on a large scale with monodispersity. These unique features have made dendrimers of increasing interest for drug delivery and other biomedical applications as nanoscaffold systems. Intended to address the potential use of dendrimers for the development of theranostic agents, which combines therapeutics and diagnostics in a single entity for personalized medicine, this review focuses on the reported methodologies of using dendrimer nanoscaffolds for targeted imaging and therapy of prostate cancer. Of particular interest, relevant chemistry strategies are discussed due to their important roles in the design and synthesis of diagnostic and therapeutic dendrimer-based nanoconjugates and potential theranostic agents, targeted or nontargeted. Given the developing status of nanoscaffolded theranostics, major challenges and potential hurdles are discussed along with the examples representing current advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Tang Lo
- Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA
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20
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Chen Z, Penet MF, Nimmagadda S, Li C, Banerjee SR, Winnard PT, Artemov D, Glunde K, Pomper MG, Bhujwalla ZM. PSMA-targeted theranostic nanoplex for prostate cancer therapy. ACS NANO 2012; 6:7752-7762. [PMID: 22866897 PMCID: PMC4066818 DOI: 10.1021/nn301725w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Theranostic imaging, where diagnosis is combined with therapy, is particularly suitable for a disease that is as complex as cancer, especially now that genomic and proteomic profiling can provide an extensive "fingerprint" of each tumor. With such information, theranostic agents can be designed to personalize treatment and minimize damage to normal tissue. Here we have developed a nanoplex platform for theranostic imaging of prostate cancer (PCa). In these proof-of-principle studies, a therapeutic nanoplex containing multimodal imaging reporters was targeted to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is expressed on the cell surface of castrate-resistant PCa. The nanoplex was designed to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) along with a prodrug enzyme to PSMA-expressing tumors. Each component of the nanoplex was carefully selected to evaluate its diagnostic aspect of PSMA imaging and its therapeutic aspects of siRNA-mediated down-regulation of a target gene and the conversion of a prodrug to cytotoxic drug, using noninvasive multimodality imaging. Studies performed using two variants of human PC3-PCa cells and tumors, one with high PSMA expression level and another with negligible expression levels, demonstrated PSMA-specific uptake. In addition, down-regulation of the selected siRNA target, choline kinase (Chk), and the conversion of the nontoxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to cytotoxic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were also demonstrated with noninvasive imaging. The nanoplex was well-tolerated and did not induce liver or kidney toxicity or a significant immune response. The nanoplex platform described can be easily modified and applied to different cancers, receptors, and pathways to achieve theranostic imaging, as a single agent or in combination with other treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihang Chen
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
| | - Marie-France Penet
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
| | - Sridhar Nimmagadda
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Cong Li
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
| | - Sangeeta R Banerjee
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
| | - Paul T Winnard
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
| | - Dmitri Artemov
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Kristine Glunde
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Martin G Pomper
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Zaver M Bhujwalla
- JHU ICMIC Program, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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Bařinka C, Rojas C, Slusher B, Pomper M. Glutamate carboxypeptidase II in diagnosis and treatment of neurologic disorders and prostate cancer. Curr Med Chem 2012; 19:856-70. [PMID: 22214450 DOI: 10.2174/092986712799034888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2011] [Revised: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a membrane-bound binuclear zinc metallopeptidase with the highest expression levels found in the nervous and prostatic tissue. Throughout the nervous system, glia-bound GCPII is intimately involved in the neuron-neuron and neuron-glia signaling via the hydrolysis of N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), the most abundant mammalian peptidic neurotransmitter. The inhibition of the GCPII-controlled NAAG catabolism has been shown to attenuate neurotoxicity associated with enhanced glutamate transmission and GCPII-specific inhibitors demonstrate efficacy in multiple preclinical models including traumatic brain injury, stroke, neuropathic and inflammatory pain, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and schizophrenia. The second major area of pharmacological interventions targeting GCPII focuses on prostate carcinoma; GCPII expression levels are highly increased in androgen-independent and metastatic disease. Consequently, the enzyme serves as a potential target for imaging and therapy. This review offers a summary of GCPII structure, physiological functions in healthy tissues, and its association with various pathologies. The review also outlines the development of GCPII-specific small-molecule compounds and their use in preclinical and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bařinka
- Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 14200 Praha 4, Czech Republic.
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22
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Madhumathi J, Verma RS. Therapeutic targets and recent advances in protein immunotoxins. Curr Opin Microbiol 2012; 15:300-9. [PMID: 22647353 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2012.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Targeted therapy has replaced the conventional methods of disease management with the advances in recombinant technology and increased understanding of molecular mechanisms of diseases. The immunotoxin strategy for diseases like cancer and a variety of autoimmune disorders has been used successfully in the past since its discovery. Since bacterial, fungal and plant toxins have various limitations like toxicity and immunogenicity, studies on fully humanized immunotoxins have gained attraction recently, which reduced toxicity significantly. Improved methods of antibody engineering have led to the emergence of various new formats of immunotoxins. This review summarizes the target moieties used in immunotoxin constructs in different diseases and describes the recent advances in immunotoxin targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhumathi J
- Stem Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamilnadu, India
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23
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Prostate-specific membrane antigen-based therapeutics. Adv Urol 2011; 2012:973820. [PMID: 21811498 PMCID: PMC3145341 DOI: 10.1155/2012/973820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2011] [Accepted: 05/09/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common noncutaneous malignancy affecting men in the US, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. While significant therapeutic advances have been made, available systemic therapeutic options are lacking. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a highly-restricted prostate cell-surface antigen that may be targeted. While initial anti-PSMA monoclonal antibodies were suboptimal, the development of monoclonal antibodies such as J591 which are highly specific for the external domain of PSMA has allowed targeting of viable, intact prostate cancer cells. Radiolabeled J591 has demonstrated accurate and selective tumor targeting, safety, and efficacy. Ongoing studies using anti-PSMA radioimmunotherapy with 177Lu-J591 seek to improve the therapeutic profile, select optimal candidates with biomarkers, combine with chemotherapy, and prevent or delay the onset of metastatic disease for men with biochemical relapse. Anti-PSMA monoclonal antibody-drug conjugates have also been developed with completed and ongoing early-phase clinical trials. As PSMA is a selective antigen that is highly overexpressed in prostate cancer, anti-PSMA-based immunotherapy has also been studied and utilized in clinical trials.
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Goepfert C, Gazdhar A, Frey FJ, Frey BM. Effect of electroporation-mediated diphtheria toxin A expression on PSA positive human prostate xenograft tumors in SCID mice. Prostate 2011; 71:872-80. [PMID: 21456069 DOI: 10.1002/pros.21303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2010] [Accepted: 10/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current therapies to treat prostate cancer are often limited. Since it has been shown that very low concentrations of diphtheria toxin A (DT-A) result in abrogation of protein synthesis and apoptosis of cells, DT-A might serve as an efficient killer in cancer gene therapy. For this purpose we investigated in a quantitative manner using a stereological approach the apoptotic effect of DT-A in androgen receptor (AR) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) expressing cells after tumor formation in both flanks of SCID mice. METHODS First, DT-A plasmid transfection was evaluated, using the lipid formulation DMRIE-C in C4-2 prostate cancer xenografts. After detection of an overall high rate of apoptosis by DMRIE-C alone, plasmid delivery was performed in a second study by electroporation. Finally this method was used to specifically target the AR and PSA expressing cell line C4-2 using pDT-A driven by a prostate specific promoter and enhancer (PSE/PSA). PC-3 cells, being AR and PSA negative, served as controls. RESULTS The experiments revealed evidence of a reduced growth rate of AR and PSA expressing C4-2 cells in vitro and in vivo compared to the AR and PSA negative prostate cancer cell line PC-3. The electroporation technology favored the response compared to DMRIE-C. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the local delivery of DT-A plasmid by electroporation might present a favorable factor to treat prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Goepfert
- Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
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25
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Bühler P, Wolf P, Elsässer-Beile U. Targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen for prostate cancer therapy. Immunotherapy 2011; 1:471-81. [PMID: 20635963 DOI: 10.2217/imt.09.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer remains a leading cause of death for men in Western civilization. Despite the effectiveness of surgical prostatectomy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy, a significant proportion of patients progress to advanced metastatic disease for which there are currently no curative treatment options. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches need to be considered. The prostate-specific membrane antigen is a cell-surface glycoprotein that is highly and specifically expressed on prostate epithelial cells and strongly upregulated in prostate cancer at all stages. These characteristics make it an attractive target for antibody-based imaging and therapies and the first anti-prostate-specific membrane antigen agents have already entered clinical trials. The proposed strategies include targeted toxins and radiotherapeutics as well as immunotherapeutic agents and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bühler
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Strasse 117, Freiburg, Germany
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26
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Thie H, Toleikis L, Li J, von Wasielewski R, Bastert G, Schirrmann T, Esteves IT, Behrens CK, Fournes B, Fournier N, de Romeuf C, Hust M, Dübel S. Rise and fall of an anti-MUC1 specific antibody. PLoS One 2011; 6:e15921. [PMID: 21264246 PMCID: PMC3021526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2010] [Accepted: 12/07/2010] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND So far, human antibodies with good affinity and specificity for MUC1, a transmembrane protein overexpressed on breast cancers and ovarian carcinomas, and thus a promising target for therapy, were very difficult to generate. RESULTS A human scFv antibody was isolated from an immune library derived from breast cancer patients immunised with MUC1. The anti-MUC1 scFv reacted with tumour cells in more than 80% of 228 tissue sections of mamma carcinoma samples, while showing very low reactivity with a large panel of non-tumour tissues. By mutagenesis and phage display, affinity of scFvs was increased up to 500fold to 5,7×10(-10) M. Half-life in serum was improved from below 1 day to more than 4 weeks and was correlated with the dimerisation tendency of the individual scFvs. The scFv bound to T47D and MCF-7 mammalian cancer cell lines were recloned into the scFv-Fc and IgG format resulting in decrease of affinity of one binder. The IgG variants with the highest affinity were tested in mouse xenograft models using MCF-7 and OVCAR tumour cells. However, the experiments showed no significant decrease in tumour growth or increase in the survival rates. To study the reasons for the failure of the xenograft experiments, ADCC was analysed in vitro using MCF-7 and OVCAR3 target cells, revealing a low ADCC, possibly due to internalisation, as detected for MCF-7 cells. CONCLUSIONS Antibody phage display starting with immune libraries and followed by affinity maturation is a powerful strategy to generate high affinity human antibodies to difficult targets, in this case shown by the creation of a highly specific antibody with subnanomolar affinity to a very small epitope consisting of four amino acids. Despite these "best in class" binding parameters, the therapeutic success of this antibody was prevented by the target biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Thie
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie und Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lars Toleikis
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie und Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jiandong Li
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie und Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | | | - Thomas Schirrmann
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie und Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Michael Hust
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie und Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefan Dübel
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Biochemie und Biotechnologie, Braunschweig, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Gerber HP, Senter PD, Grewal IS. Antibody drug-conjugates targeting the tumor vasculature: Current and future developments. MAbs 2010; 1:247-53. [PMID: 20069754 DOI: 10.4161/mabs.1.3.8515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reducing the blood supply of tumors is one modality to combat cancer. Monoclonal antibodies are now established as a key therapeutic approach for a range of diseases. Owing to the ability of antibodies to selectively target endothelial cells within the tumor vasculature, vascular targeting programs have become a mainstay in oncology drug development. However, the antitumor activity of single agent administration of conventional anti-angiogenic compounds is limited and the improvements in patient survival are most prominent in combinations with chemotherapy. Furthermore, prolonged treatment with conventional anti-angiogenic drugs is associated with toxicity and drug resistance. These circumstances provide a strong rationale for novel approaches to enhance the efficacy of mAbs targeting tumor vasculature such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).Here, we review trends in the development of ADCs targeting tumor vasculature with the aim of informing future research and development of this class of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Peter Gerber
- Department of Pre-Clinical Therapeutics, Seattle Genetics, Inc., Bothell, WA 98021, USA
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Wolf P, Alt K, Wetterauer D, Bühler P, Gierschner D, Katzenwadel A, Wetterauer U, Elsässer-Beile U. Preclinical evaluation of a recombinant anti-prostate specific membrane antigen single-chain immunotoxin against prostate cancer. J Immunother 2010; 33:262-71. [PMID: 20445346 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0b013e3181c5495c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is abundantly expressed on prostate cancer epithelial cells and its expression correlates with tumor progression. Therefore, a specific immunotherapy against this antigen may be a novel therapeutic option for the management of prostate cancer. We generated an anti-PSMA single-chain antibody fragment (scFv), called D7, by phage display from the monoclonal antibody 3/F11. By C-terminal ligation of the toxic domain of Pseudomonas Exotoxin A (PE40) to the genes of D7, the immunotoxin D7-PE40 was generated. D7 and D7-PE40 specifically bound to PSMA transfectants and to the PSMA expressing prostate cancer cell line C4-2. In addition, D7-PE40 showed a high serum stability and induced a 50% reduction of viability (IC50) in C4-2 cells at a concentration of 140 pM. In vivo, D7-PE40 was well tolerated in SCID mice up to a single dose of 20 microg, whereas higher doses induced severe hepatotoxicity with deaths of the animals. Immunotoxin treatment of mice bearing C4-2 tumor xenografts caused a significant inhibition of tumor growth, whereas mice with PSMA-negative DU 145 tumors remained unaffected. Owing to its high and specific cytotoxicity and its capability to inhibit prostate tumor growth in vivo the immunotoxin D7-PE40 represents a promising candidate for the immunotherapy of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Wolf
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Freiburg, Germany.
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Abstract
The growth and metastasis of solid tumors critically depends on their ability to develop their own blood supply, a process known as tumor angiogenesis. Over the past decade much work has been performed to understand this process, and modifying this process provides a key point of therapeutic intervention in the fight against cancer. This Review explores the development of anti-VEGF-based antiangiogenic therapies, of which there are currently three licensed for clinical use worldwide. Although originally anticipated to inhibit the growth of tumor vessels, the induction of vascular normalization caused by these approved agents has provided a novel means of effective delivery of known chemotherapeutic agents. The development of small molecules that target VEGF receptors has resulted in the generation of inhibitors with not only vascular activity but antitumor activity in certain cancers. This Review will address the current status of vascular-disrupting strategies, such as therapies designed to induce tumor collapse by selectively destroying existing tumor vessels. These therapies can be broadly divided into small-molecular-weight vascular-disrupting agents and ligand-directed approaches. We discuss the current status of development, drug mechanisms of actions, combination with conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and potential future targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Mease RC, Dusich CL, Foss CA, Ravert HT, Dannals RF, Seidel J, Prideaux A, Fox JJ, Sgouros G, Kozikowski AP, Pomper MG. N-[N-[(S)-1,3-Dicarboxypropyl]carbamoyl]-4-[18F]fluorobenzyl-L-cysteine, [18F]DCFBC: a new imaging probe for prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2008; 14:3036-43. [PMID: 18483369 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-07-1517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Previously, we showed successful imaging of xenografts that express the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) using small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) and the radiolabeled PSMA inhibitor N-[N-[(S)-1,3-dicarboxypropyl]carbamoyl]-S-[11C]methyl-l-cysteine. Herein, we extend that work by preparing and testing a PSMA inhibitor of the same class labeled with fluorine-18. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN N-[N-[(S)-1,3-Dicarboxypropyl]carbamoyl]-4-[18F]fluorobenzyl-l-cysteine ([18F]DCFBC) was prepared by reacting 4-[18F]fluorobenzyl bromide with the precursor (S)-2-[3-[(R)-1-carboxy-2-mercaptoethyl]ureido]-pentanedioic acid in ammonia-saturated methanol at 60 degrees C for 10 min followed by purification using C-18 reverse-phase semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Severe combined immunodeficient mice bearing a s.c. PSMA+ PC-3 PIP tumor behind one shoulder and a PSMA(-) PC-3 FLU tumor behind the other shoulder were injected via the tail vein with either 1.85 MBq (50 microCi) of [18F]DCFBC for ex vivo biodistribution or 7.4 MBq (200 microCi) for imaging. For biodistribution, mice were sacrificed at 5, 15, 30, 60, and 120 min. Tumor, blood, and major organs were harvested and weighed, and radioactivity was counted. Imaging was done on the GE eXplore Vista small-animal PET scanner by collecting 12 consecutive 10-min frames. RESULTS Radiochemical yield for [18F]DCFBC averaged 16 +/- 6% (n = 8) from 4-[18F]fluorobenzyl bromide. Specific radioactivities ranged from 13 to 133 GBq/micromol (350-3,600 Ci/mmol) with an average of 52 GBq/micromol (1,392 Ci/mmol; n = 6). Biodistribution and imaging studies showed high uptake of [18F]DCFBC in the PIP tumors with little to no uptake in FLU tumors. High radiopharmaceutical uptake was also seen in kidneys and bladder; however, washout of radioactivity from these organs was faster than from the PIP tumors. The maximum PIP tumor uptake was 8.16 +/- 2.55% injected dose per gram, achieved at 60 min after injection, which decreased to 4.69 +/- 0.89 at 120 min. The PIP tumor to muscle ratio was 20 at 120 min after injection. Based on the mouse biodistribution, the dose-limiting organ is the kidneys (human estimated absorbed dose: 0.05 mGy/MBq; 0.2 rad/mCi). CONCLUSION [18F]DCFBC localizes to PSMA+-expressing tumors in mice, permitting imaging by small-animal PET. This new radiopharmaceutical is an attractive candidate for further studies of PET imaging of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronnie C Mease
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA
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Wolf P, Alt K, Bühler P, Katzenwadel A, Wetterauer U, Tacke M, Elsässer-Beile U. Anti-PSMA immunotoxin as novel treatment for prostate cancer? High and specific antitumor activity on human prostate xenograft tumors in SCID mice. Prostate 2008; 68:129-38. [PMID: 18044731 DOI: 10.1002/pros.20684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression of the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is highly restricted to prostate epithelial cells. Therefore, toxin-based immunotherapy against this antigen may represent an alternative therapeutic option for prostate cancer. For these purposes, the effects of the recombinant anti-PSMA immunotoxin A5-PE40 on prostate tumor growth were investigated in vitro and in vivo. METHODS The in vitro binding and cytotoxicity of A5-PE40 were tested on the PSMA-expressing prostate cancer cell line C4-2 and on the PSMA-negative cell line DU145 by flow cytometry and WST assays. The binding of the immunotoxin to SCID mouse xenografts and to various mouse organs was examined by Western blot analysis. In vivo, the antitumor activity of the immunotoxin was tested by injecting A5-PE40 in mice bearing C4-2 or DU145 xenografts. RESULTS In vitro, a specific binding of A5-PE40 to C4-2 cells could be shown with a concentration-dependent cytotoxicity (IC(50) value=220 pM). In the next step, a specific binding of the immunotoxin to C4-2 xenografts could be demonstrated. In contrast, no binding on mouse organs expressing high homologous mouse PSMA was found. The treatment of mice with C4-2 tumors caused a significant inhibition of tumor growth in vivo, whereas DU145 xenografts remained totally unaffected. CONCLUSIONS A5-PE40 represents a recombinant anti-PSMA immunotoxin with potent antitumor activity in mice bearing human prostate cancer xenograft tumors. Therefore, A5-PE40 could be a promising candidate for therapeutic applications in patients with prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Wolf
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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32
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Tumor Endothelial Markers. Angiogenesis 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-71518-6_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Moffett S, Mélançon D, DeCrescenzo G, St-Pierre C, Deschénes F, Saragovi HU, Gold P, Cuello AC. Preparation and Characterization of New Anti-PSMA Monoclonal Antibodies with Potential Clinical Use. Hybridoma (Larchmt) 2007; 26:363-72. [DOI: 10.1089/hyb.2007.0522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gregory DeCrescenzo
- BIO-P2 Unit, Chemical Engineering Department, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Phil Gold
- ProScan Rx Pharma, Inc., Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Mhawech-Fauceglia P, Zhang S, Terracciano L, Sauter G, Chadhuri A, Herrmann FR, Penetrante R. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) protein expression in normal and neoplastic tissues and its sensitivity and specificity in prostate adenocarcinoma: an immunohistochemical study using mutiple tumour tissue microarray technique. Histopathology 2007; 50:472-83. [PMID: 17448023 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2007.02635.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To determine prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expression in normal tissues and in 3161 benign and malignant tumours and subsequently to define its sensitivity and specificity in prostatic adenocarcinoma (PaC). METHODS AND RESULTS Multiple tissue microarray sections were stained with a monoclonal antibody to PSMA. PaC was positive in 93/141 cases (66.0%) with various staining patterns including cytoplasmic, apical, apical/cytoplasmic and cytoplasmic with membranous accentuation. Of 2174 various tumour types, 154 expressed PSMA, including 59/346 (17.0%) urothelial carcinomas of the bladder (UBC). In those tumours, the staining pattern was always cytoplasmic. All 846 benign tumours were negative for PSMA. The sensitivity and specificity of PSMA in distinguishing PaC from any other type of malignancy is 65.9% and 94.5%, respectively. Furthermore, its sensitivity and specificity in differentiating PaC from urothelial cancer is 65.9% and 82.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Despite its expression by subsets of various types of malignancies, PSMA is still considered to be fairly sensitive and highly specific for PaC.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Mhawech-Fauceglia
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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Sácha P, Zámecník J, Barinka C, Hlouchová K, Vícha A, Mlcochová P, Hilgert I, Eckschlager T, Konvalinka J. Expression of glutamate carboxypeptidase II in human brain. Neuroscience 2006; 144:1361-72. [PMID: 17150306 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2006] [Accepted: 10/07/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII) is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed in various tissues. When expressed in the brain it cleaves the neurotransmitter N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), yielding free glutamate. In jejunum it hydrolyzes folylpoly-gamma-glutamate, thus facilitating folate absorption. The prostate form of GCPII, known as prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), is an established cancer marker. The NAAG-hydrolyzing activity of GCPII has been implicated in a number of pathological conditions in which glutamate is neurotoxic (e.g. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and stroke). Inhibition of GCPII was shown to be neuroprotective in tissue culture and in animal models. GCPII is therefore an interesting putative therapeutic target. However, only very limited and controversial data on the expression and localization of GCPII in human brain are available. Therefore, we set out to analyze the activity and expression of GCPII in various compartments of the human brain using a radiolabeled substrate of the enzyme and the novel monoclonal antibody GCP-04, which recognizes an epitope on the extracellular portion of the enzyme and is more sensitive to GCPII than to the homologous GCPIII. We show that this antibody is more sensitive in immunoblots than the widely used antibody 7E11. By Western blot, we show that there are approximately 50-300 ng of GCPII/mg of total protein in human brain, depending on the specific area. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that astrocytes specifically express GCPII in all parts of the brain. GCPII is enzymatically active and the level of activity follows the expression pattern. Using pure recombinant GCPII and homologous GCPIII, we conclude that GCPII is responsible for the majority of overall NAAG-hydrolyzing activity in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sácha
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo n.2, Prague 6, 16610 Czech Republic
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Wolf P, Gierschner D, Bühler P, Wetterauer U, Elsässer-Beile U. A recombinant PSMA-specific single-chain immunotoxin has potent and selective toxicity against prostate cancer cells. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2006; 55:1367-73. [PMID: 16547705 PMCID: PMC11030148 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-006-0131-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2005] [Accepted: 01/10/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer and the second leading cancer-related death among men in the Western civilization. Since no effective therapy exists for this tumor after progression beyond resectable boundaries, there is an urgent need for new treatment strategies. Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) represents an excellent target on prostate cancer cells, and therefore specific immunotherapy may be a novel therapeutic option for the management of this tumor. We constructed a fully recombinant immunotoxin (A5-PE40) from a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) against cell-adherent PSMA and a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE40) lacking its natural binding domain Ia. The scFv A5 was obtained from a mAb elicited with native PSMA by phage display technology and direct selection on cells carrying the antigen. The bacterially expressed and purified immunotoxin A5-PE40 specifically binds to PSMA-positive prostate cancer cells and induces a 50% reduction of viability (IC50) at a concentration of 20 pM, while PSMA-negative cells remain unaffected. Due to its high and specific toxicity this recombinant immunotoxin is a promising candidate for therapeutic applications in patients with prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Wolf
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 117, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - D. Gierschner
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 117, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - P. Bühler
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 117, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - U. Wetterauer
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 117, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - U. Elsässer-Beile
- Department of Urology, Experimental Urology, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 117, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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Aggarwal S, Singh P, Topaloglu O, Isaacs JT, Denmeade SR. A Dimeric Peptide That Binds Selectively to Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen and Inhibits its Enzymatic Activity. Cancer Res 2006; 66:9171-7. [PMID: 16982760 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-06-1520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is highly expressed by both normal and malignant prostate epithelial cells and by the neovasculature of many tumor types; however, it is not expressed by normal endothelial cells or other normal tissues. PSMA, therefore, represents an attractive candidate for selectively targeted therapies for prostate and/or other solid tumors. As an alternative approach to antibody-based anti-PSMA therapies, small peptides that bind selectively to PSMA-producing cells can be used to deliver cytotoxic drugs, protein toxins, and viruses selectively to malignant sites while minimizing systemic toxicity to normal tissues. Small peptides are relatively inexpensive to produce, not immunogenic, and easily coupled to cytotoxic agents. In the present study, a random phage library consisting of linear 12 amino acid peptides was used to identify peptides that bound selectively to PSMA. From a series of monomeric peptides, one with the sequence WQPDTAHHWATL was used to show binding of soluble peptide to PSMA. A dimeric version of this peptide showed markedly enhanced binding to soluble PSMA and an IC50 of 2.2 micromol/L for inhibition of PSMA enzymatic activity. Fluorescently labeled dimeric peptide bound selectively to PSMA-producing prostate cancer cells in vitro with no significant binding to non-PSMA-producing cells. Molecular modeling of the dimeric peptide revealed that histidine residues in close vicinity can efficiently coordinate a divalent ion and hold the peptide in a favorable configuration for binding and subsequent inhibition. These dimeric peptides, therefore, represent putative PSMA-selective targeting agents that are currently being evaluated for selective binding in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Aggarwal
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA
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38
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Abstract
Immunotoxins are proteins that contain a toxin along with an antibody or growth factor that binds specifically to target cells. Nearly all protein toxins work by enzymatically inhibiting protein synthesis. For the immunotoxin to work, it must bind to and be internalized by the target cells, and the enzymatic fragment of the toxin must translocate to the cytosol. Once in the cytosol, 1 molecule is capable of killing a cell, making immunotoxins some of the most potent killing agents. Various plant and bacterial toxins have been genetically fused or chemically conjugated to ligands that bind to cancer cells. Among the most active clinically are those that bind to hematologic tumors. At present, only 1 agent, which contains human interleukin-2 and truncated diphtheria toxin, is approved for use in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Another, containing an anti-CD22 Fv and truncated Pseudomonas exotoxin, has induced complete remissions in a high proportion of cases of hairy-cell leukemia. Refinement of existing immunotoxins and development of new immunotoxins are underway to improve the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Kreitman
- Clinical Immunotherapy Section, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Centers for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 37, Room 5124B, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255, USA.
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Conway RE, Petrovic N, Li Z, Heston W, Wu D, Shapiro LH. Prostate-specific membrane antigen regulates angiogenesis by modulating integrin signal transduction. Mol Cell Biol 2006; 26:5310-24. [PMID: 16809768 PMCID: PMC1592718 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00084-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane peptidase prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is universally upregulated in the vasculature of solid tumors, but its functional role in tumor angiogenesis has not been investigated. Here we show that angiogenesis is severely impaired in PSMA-null animals and that this angiogenic defect occurs at the level of endothelial cell invasion through the extracellular matrix barrier. Because proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix is a critical component of endothelial invasion in angiogenesis, it is logical to assume that PSMA participates in matrix degradation. However, we demonstrate a novel and more complex role for PSMA in angiogenesis, where it is a principal component of a regulatory loop that is tightly modulating laminin-specific integrin signaling and GTPase-dependent, p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK-1) activity. We show that PSMA inhibition, knockdown, or deficiency decreases endothelial cell invasion in vitro via integrin and PAK, thus abrogating angiogenesis. Interestingly, the neutralization of beta(1) or the inactivation of PAK increases PSMA activity, suggesting that they negatively regulate PSMA. This negative regulation is mediated by the cytoskeleton as the disruption of interactions between the PSMA cytoplasmic tail and the anchor protein filamin A decreases PSMA activity, integrin function, and PAK activation. Finally, the inhibition of PAK activation enhances the PSMA/filamin A interaction and, thus, boosts PSMA activity. These data imply that PSMA participates in an autoregulatory loop, wherein active PSMA facilitates integrin signaling and PAK activation, leading to both productive invasion and downregulation of integrin beta(1) signaling via reduced PSMA activity. Therefore, we have identified a novel role for PSMA as a true molecular interface, integrating both extracellular and intracellular signals during angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Conway
- University of Connecticut Health Center, Center for Vascular Biology MC3501, Department of Cell Biology, Farmington, CT 06030-350l, USA
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Aggarwal S, Ricklis RM, Williams SA, Denmeade SR. Comparative study of PSMA expression in the prostate of mouse, dog, monkey, and human. Prostate 2006; 66:903-10. [PMID: 16496413 DOI: 10.1002/pros.20413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intraprostatic PSMA targeted prodrugs/protoxins are under development in our laboratory. Future toxicologic studies of these therapies require identification of animal models that express PSMA within the prostate. METHOD PSMA enzymatic activity and protein expression was determined. PSMA expression in the prostates of mouse, dog, and monkey were compared to humans by real-time PCR analysis. RESULTS No substrate hydrolysis was observed in dog or monkey prostate homogenates. Monkey prostate was negative for PSMA protein expression. No significant PSMA mRNA levels were detected by real time PCR in mouse, dog, or monkey prostate tissue compared to PSMA negative tissues. CONCLUSIONS PSMA is not expressed in any significant amount in the prostates of mouse, beagle dog, or macaque monkeys in this study but is expressed in high levels by human prostate. These non-human species, therefore, are not suitable toxicologic models to assess prostate damage from PSMA-activated intraprostatic prodrug/protoxin therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Aggarwal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA
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41
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Jaracz S, Chen J, Kuznetsova LV, Ojima I. Recent advances in tumor-targeting anticancer drug conjugates. Bioorg Med Chem 2005; 13:5043-54. [PMID: 15955702 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2005.04.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 345] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2005] [Revised: 04/19/2005] [Accepted: 04/20/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Traditional cancer chemotherapy relies on the premise that rapidly proliferating cancer cells are more likely to be a killed by cytotoxic agent. In reality, however, cytotoxic agents have very little or no specificity, which leads to systemic toxicity, causing severe undesirable side effects. Therefore, various drug delivery protocols and systems have been explored in the last three decades. Tumor cells overexpress many receptors and biomarkers, which can be used as targets to deliver cytotoxic agents into tumors. In general, a tumor-targeting drug delivery system consists of a tumor recognition moiety and a cytotoxic warhead connected directly or through a suitable linker to form a conjugate. The conjugate, which can be regarded as 'prodrug', should be systemically non-toxic. This means that the linker must be stable in circulation. Upon internalization into the cancer cell the conjugate should be readily cleaved to regenerate the active cytotoxic agent. Tumor-targeting conjugates bearing cytotoxic agents can be classified into several groups based on the type of cancer recognition moieties. This review describes recent advances in tumor-targeting drug conjugates including monoclonal antibodies, polyunsaturated fatty acids, folic acid, hyaluronic acid, and oligopeptides as tumor-targeting moieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Jaracz
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3400, USA
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Mincheff M, Zoubak S, Makogonenko Y. Immune responses against PSMA after gene-based vaccination for immunotherapy – A: results from immunizations in animals. Cancer Gene Ther 2005; 13:436-44. [PMID: 16276349 DOI: 10.1038/sj.cgt.7700914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Two plasmid DNA vaccines, encoding either products that are retained in the cytosol and degraded in the proteasome (tVacs; hPSMAt), or secreted proteins (sVacs; hPSMAs) were evaluated for stimulation of cytotoxic cell or antibody responses. Immunization with both vectors led to generation of cell cytotoxicity providing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor was administered with the vaccine. Spleen cells from animals immunized with hPSMAt demonstrated stronger cytotoxicity to the target cells. Priming with a vector that encoded a xenogeneic protein (hPSMAt; 'xenogeneic' construct) and boosting with a vector that encoded an autologous protein (rPSMAt; 'autologous' construct) gave the best protection against tumor challenge. Immunization with tVacs did not lead to formation of antibodies to the target protein as detected by Western blot or ELISA, while immunization with sVacs or with the protein did. Antibodies were of mixed Th1-Th2 isotype. Priming with tVacs and boosting with protein also resulted in antibody formation, but in this case the antibodies were from the cytotoxic, Th1 isotype. The best strategy to obtain a strong cellular cytotoxic response, therefore, seems to be gene-based vaccinations with tVacs, priming with the 'xenogeneic' and boosting with the 'autologous' constructs. When cytotoxic antibody production is the goal, priming should be performed with the tVacs while boosting with the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mincheff
- Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Department of Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
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Chen J, Jaracz S, Zhao X, Chen S, Ojima I. Antibody–cytotoxic agent conjugates for cancer therapy. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2005; 2:873-90. [PMID: 16296784 DOI: 10.1517/17425247.2.5.873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-based delivery of cytotoxic agents, including toxins, to tumours can dramatically reduce systemic toxicity and increase therapeutic efficacy. The advantage of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) is superior selectivity towards antigens expressed on the surface of cancer cells. Recent advances in biotechnology accelerated progress in the pharmaceutical applications of mAbs. A cytotoxic warhead is attached to a mAb in an immunoconjugate via a linker, which is stable in circulation but efficiently cleaved in the tumour tissue. The warhead, mAb and linker play important roles in the successful design of potent and efficient immunoconjugates. To date, one mAb-cytotoxic agent conjugate has been approved by the FDA and several other candidates are in various stages of clinical trials. This review describes the recent progress in the design and development of mAb-based immunoconjugates of cytotoxic agents, and summarises the criteria for the critical choices of a suitable mAb, linker and cytotoxic agent to design an efficacious immunoconjugate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Chen
- Institute of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, State University of New York, Stony Brook, 11794-3400, USA
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44
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Silva ALC, Goto LS, Dinarte AR, Hansen D, Moreira RA, Beltramini LM, Araújo APU. Pulchellin, a highly toxic type 2 ribosome-inactivating protein from Abrus pulchellus. Cloning heterologous expression of A-chain and structural studies. FEBS J 2005; 272:1201-10. [PMID: 15720394 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2005.04545.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Pulchellin is a type 2 ribosome-inactivating protein isolated from seeds of the Abrus pulchellus tenuiflorus plant. This study aims to obtain active and homogeneous protein for structural and biological studies that will clarify the functional aspects of this toxin. The DNA fragment encoding pulchellin A-chain was cloned and inserted into pGEX-5X to express the recombinant pulchellin A-chain (rPAC) as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The deduced amino acid sequence analyses of the rPAC presented a high sequential identity (> 86%) with the A-chain of abrin-c. The ability of the rPAC to depurinate rRNA in yeast ribosome was also demonstrated in vitro. In order to validate the toxic activity we promoted the in vitro association of the rPAC with the recombinant pulchellin binding chain (rPBC). Both chains were incubated in the presence of a reduced/oxidized system, yielding an active heterodimer (rPAB). The rPAB showed an apparent molecular mass of approximately 60 kDa, similar to the native pulchellin. The toxic activities of the rPAB and native pulchellin were compared by intraperitoneal injection of different dilutions into mice. The rPAB was able to kill 50% of the tested mice with doses of 45 microg x kg(-1). Our results indicated that the heterodimer showed toxic activity and a conformational pattern similar to pulchellin. In addition, rPAC produced in this heterologous system might be useful for the preparation of immunoconjugates with potential as a therapeutic agent.
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MESH Headings
- Abrus/chemistry
- Abrus/genetics
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Circular Dichroism
- Cloning, Molecular
- DNA, Complementary/genetics
- DNA, Complementary/isolation & purification
- DNA, Plant/genetics
- DNA, Plant/metabolism
- Injections, Intraperitoneal
- Mice
- Molecular Sequence Data
- N-Glycosyl Hydrolases/metabolism
- Plant Proteins/chemistry
- Plant Proteins/metabolism
- Plant Proteins/toxicity
- Protein Conformation
- Protein Subunits/chemistry
- Protein Subunits/metabolism
- Protein Subunits/toxicity
- RNA, Fungal/genetics
- RNA, Fungal/metabolism
- RNA, Plant/genetics
- RNA, Plant/metabolism
- RNA, Ribosomal/genetics
- RNA, Ribosomal/metabolism
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/toxicity
- Ribosomes/metabolism
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism
- Seeds/chemistry
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
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Affiliation(s)
- André L C Silva
- Centro de Biotecnologia Molecular Estrutural, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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45
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Tcherniuk SO, Chroboczek J, Balakirev MY. Construction of tumor-specific toxins using ubiquitin fusion technique. Mol Ther 2005; 11:196-204. [PMID: 15668131 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2004.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2004] [Accepted: 10/16/2004] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of cytotoxic agents to eliminate cancer cells is limited because of their nonselective toxicity and unwanted side effects. One of the strategies to overcome these limitations is to use latent prodrugs that become toxic in situ after being enzymatically activated in target cells. In this work we describe a method for producing tumor-specific toxins by using a ubiquitin fusion technique. The method is illustrated by the production of recombinant toxins by in-frame fusion of ubiquitin to saporin, a toxin from the plant Saponaria officinalis. Ubiquitin-fused toxins were rapidly degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, significantly reducing their nonspecific toxicity. The insertion of the protease-cleavage sequence between ubiquitin and saporin led to the removal of ubiquitin by the protease and resulted in protease-dependent stabilization of the toxin. We engineered toxins that can be stabilized by specific proteases such as deubiquitinating enzymes and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Both constructs were activated in vitro and in cultured cells by the appropriate enzyme. Processing by the protease resulted in a greater than 10-fold increase in the toxicity of these constructs. Importantly, the PSA-cleavable toxin was able to kill specifically the PSA-producing prostate cancer cells. The ubiquitin fusion technique is thus a versatile and reliable method for obtaining selective cytotoxic agents and can easily be adapted for different kinds of toxins and activating proteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey O Tcherniuk
- Laboratoire de Biophysique Moléculaire, Institut de Biologie Structurale J. P. Ebel (CEA/CNRS/UJF), 41 rue Jules Horowitz, 38027 Grenoble, France
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